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The bulletin of Atlanta University, 1903 no. 133

The bulletin of Atlanta University

NUMBER 133. ATLANTA, GEORGIA. JANUARY, 1903. Suggestions. The Negro is often told to "begin at the bottom of the ladder and work up as other races have done." This is good advice if rightly understood and followed. uThe Negro" means for us nine millions of people representing, in varying proportions, almost every stage of intelligence, culture and character found among white people. While the majority of Negroes are at the bottom or not much above it, a very respectable minority are already well up the ladder. Must these go down and begin the climb over again? "The Negro" means for us at least two million people, probably, who have from one-half to seven-eights or more of Anglo-Saxon blood in their veins. Must these begin at the bottom because they are called "Negroes," regardless of their individual condition? Other races in ascending have used the ladders which other more fortunate races have constructed for them. Thus the Phoenicians and Egyptians helped the Greeks and Romans to climb, and thus, in turn, the Greeks and Romans helped the Anglo-Saxons. Should the American Negro be expected to climb only on ladders of his own construction? Must he be blind and deaf to the Anglo-Saxon civilization around him, and slowly toil to evolve a purely original Negro civilization? Every civilization the world has ever known has been, in the beginning at least, a borrowed rather than an original one. Each race has copied some other civilization at first, which it has afterwards modified with its own racial traits. It is often said that the Negro excels in imitation and is deficient in invention. If this be so, is it well for him to reverse the usual order of race development, and to seek to rise first by the aid of his weaker power of invention to the exclusion of his stronger power of imitation? No good man should wish the Negro to begin at the bottom in such a way as to keep him at the bottom indefinitely. For statement of the work of Atlanta University see last page. AN EARNEST WORD WITH OUR FRIENDS. Like many another institution of learning, Atlanta University is just now feeling keenly the embarrassment of its success. For the past two years its work has been developed and strengthened by the aid of a twenty thousand dollar fund contributed by a score or so of our friends outside of the usual dona-tion income. The improvements instituted, partly in the material equipment and partly in the teaching force, have been attended and followed by an ac-cession of new students of an unusually promising character. For the past three years all current expenses have been met without a deficit, and last year some special gifts enabled us to pay off three thousand dollars of our large standing debt and also to add a like amount to our permanent funds. This is certainly an encouraging record. But what of this year? The special fund of twenty thousand dollars, which was given to be spent in two years, is now exhausted. It was given in the hope and expectation that the work strengthened by it would not subsequently be curtailed, and that friends, old and new, would rally to sustain it on the new level of increased efficiency. The question of vital moment now is: Shall this hope and this expectation be realized? The work of the year has been planned in the faith that they would be. This means, however, that we must have an addition of ten thousand dollars to the donation income of the year for the regular current expenses. Nor is this all. The reduction of the debt having been happily begun ought to be continued and completed during this period of the country's prosperity. Certainly it must not be allowed to increase again during the present year. Thus far the receipts from donations for the current year have not shown the increase which the situation above described renders so important. It seems best to make this fact known at once while there is still time to remedy the situation, and thus avert the necessity of a more importunate appeal nearer the end of the school year in June. Without waiting for a more personal solicitation, will not many of our friends who have not made their gifts this year kindly send them as soon as may be possible, or drop a line indicating when they may be expected? This will greatly lighten the labor of those who are "charged with raising our funds and leave them more free to enlist the interest of new donors. Checks may be made payable to "Atlanta University" and sent to either of the undersigned: Horace Bumstead, President. Myron W. Adams, Treasurer. MRS. ALICE FREEMAN PALMER. With heart-felt sorrow we note the death of this gifted and lovable woman who was one of the most loyal and helpful friends of Atlanta University. As one of the vice-presidents of the Atlanta University Association in Boston and Vicinity, as a member of the Atlanta Committee in Cambridge, as a frequent speaker in public meetings in behalf of the University's work, as a personal friend and counsellor of its president and other officers, she gave freely of her rare wisdom, sympathy and encouragement. Many other good causes enlisted her interest and co-operation, nor were these given in any indiscriminate or perfunctory fashion. She spent herself always up to, and often beyond, the limit of her strength. Hardly any woman who has passed away in recent years has done so much as she to strengthen the hearts and hands of those who are trying in any way to make the world better. Her life has been an inspiration to nobler service, which will continue as long as her memory shall last.

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Transcript

NUMBER 133. ATLANTA, GEORGIA. JANUARY, 1903. Suggestions. The Negro is often told to "begin at the bottom of the ladder and work up as other races have done." This is good advice if rightly understood and followed. uThe Negro" means for us nine millions of people representing, in varying proportions, almost every stage of intelligence, culture and character found among white people. While the majority of Negroes are at the bottom or not much above it, a very respectable minority are already well up the ladder. Must these go down and begin the climb over again? "The Negro" means for us at least two million people, probably, who have from one-half to seven-eights or more of Anglo-Saxon blood in their veins. Must these begin at the bottom because they are called "Negroes," regardless of their individual condition? Other races in ascending have used the ladders which other more fortunate races have constructed for them. Thus the Phoenicians and Egyptians helped the Greeks and Romans to climb, and thus, in turn, the Greeks and Romans helped the Anglo-Saxons. Should the American Negro be expected to climb only on ladders of his own construction? Must he be blind and deaf to the Anglo-Saxon civilization around him, and slowly toil to evolve a purely original Negro civilization? Every civilization the world has ever known has been, in the beginning at least, a borrowed rather than an original one. Each race has copied some other civilization at first, which it has afterwards modified with its own racial traits. It is often said that the Negro excels in imitation and is deficient in invention. If this be so, is it well for him to reverse the usual order of race development, and to seek to rise first by the aid of his weaker power of invention to the exclusion of his stronger power of imitation? No good man should wish the Negro to begin at the bottom in such a way as to keep him at the bottom indefinitely. For statement of the work of Atlanta University see last page. AN EARNEST WORD WITH OUR FRIENDS. Like many another institution of learning, Atlanta University is just now feeling keenly the embarrassment of its success. For the past two years its work has been developed and strengthened by the aid of a twenty thousand dollar fund contributed by a score or so of our friends outside of the usual dona-tion income. The improvements instituted, partly in the material equipment and partly in the teaching force, have been attended and followed by an ac-cession of new students of an unusually promising character. For the past three years all current expenses have been met without a deficit, and last year some special gifts enabled us to pay off three thousand dollars of our large standing debt and also to add a like amount to our permanent funds. This is certainly an encouraging record. But what of this year? The special fund of twenty thousand dollars, which was given to be spent in two years, is now exhausted. It was given in the hope and expectation that the work strengthened by it would not subsequently be curtailed, and that friends, old and new, would rally to sustain it on the new level of increased efficiency. The question of vital moment now is: Shall this hope and this expectation be realized? The work of the year has been planned in the faith that they would be. This means, however, that we must have an addition of ten thousand dollars to the donation income of the year for the regular current expenses. Nor is this all. The reduction of the debt having been happily begun ought to be continued and completed during this period of the country's prosperity. Certainly it must not be allowed to increase again during the present year. Thus far the receipts from donations for the current year have not shown the increase which the situation above described renders so important. It seems best to make this fact known at once while there is still time to remedy the situation, and thus avert the necessity of a more importunate appeal nearer the end of the school year in June. Without waiting for a more personal solicitation, will not many of our friends who have not made their gifts this year kindly send them as soon as may be possible, or drop a line indicating when they may be expected? This will greatly lighten the labor of those who are "charged with raising our funds and leave them more free to enlist the interest of new donors. Checks may be made payable to "Atlanta University" and sent to either of the undersigned: Horace Bumstead, President. Myron W. Adams, Treasurer. MRS. ALICE FREEMAN PALMER. With heart-felt sorrow we note the death of this gifted and lovable woman who was one of the most loyal and helpful friends of Atlanta University. As one of the vice-presidents of the Atlanta University Association in Boston and Vicinity, as a member of the Atlanta Committee in Cambridge, as a frequent speaker in public meetings in behalf of the University's work, as a personal friend and counsellor of its president and other officers, she gave freely of her rare wisdom, sympathy and encouragement. Many other good causes enlisted her interest and co-operation, nor were these given in any indiscriminate or perfunctory fashion. She spent herself always up to, and often beyond, the limit of her strength. Hardly any woman who has passed away in recent years has done so much as she to strengthen the hearts and hands of those who are trying in any way to make the world better. Her life has been an inspiration to nobler service, which will continue as long as her memory shall last.